The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-08-25
PROFITABLE BEGGING.
A Professional Charity Solicitor Who Has
an Income of $4,000 Year.

In one of the handsomest flats in
| New York resides man who is pro-
fessional beggar. By following this
occupation he has an income of $10,-
900 per year. He goes into good
society, and is one If the greatest wits
| and practical iokers in town so that
MS company is much sought after. He
does not 90 prowling about the streets,
however, begging, a quarter or what
ever he can get. He would disdain to
accept less than 800, still he manages
to collect $4,000 every year. He
used to be drummer for one of the
largest dry-goods houses here, and
an excellent one he was, too, but he
| found he could make more money beg
| ging. He never asks money from any
one but rich people. and | believe if
any other kind of people were to offer
him money he would refuse it He
does not, however, beg directly for
| himself, but for the New York
| Children'S home. The head of the dry
| goods firm with which he was formerly
| engaged is president of this institution;
| and, knowing that his salesman was
noted for his cheek, he asked him one
day during dull season if he would
circulate among the millionaires and
| get up subscriptions for the maintain
ance of the institution. He agreed, and
| the first day he started out he collected
more than it was expected he could do
in week. The result was that he was
| offered certain percentage Of what
| he collected, and he found that it
would pay him to keep at it all the
time
He says at first it was very trying
work, but now he has it so system
| atized that on the whole he rather likes
the business, aside from what money
there is in it. "My experience" he
said, "shows that an average New York
| millionaire is much more liberal man
than the public supposes. The only
| difficulty is in seeing these men and
| presenting your claims. worked six
months before | was able to see Jay
| Gould. During that time | went to
| his office on an average of twice day,
| and my efforts were in vain.
| Finally l caught him on an elevated
| train, and seating myself beside him
he was obliged to listen to me. / asked
for $500. He told me to call on him
| the next day and he would give me MS
| check for the amount. | went to his
| office, but Notwithstanding | stated
| what had passed between the million
aire and myself, | was refused admit
! tance to his private room. l then
made up my mind that Mr.. Gould had
| thrown me off, but | was determined
to watch him again. | found out
| where he kept his private bank ac-
count and got a check on that institu-
| ton, which | filled out for $500. A
month afterward | ran across Mr..
| Gould again in the Windsor hotel He
! did not remember me, but | recalled
our conversation, and he again told me
to call at his office, but | replied by
| presenting him the check and telling
| I i'm it would not take him a moment to
/ put his signature to it, and he did.
| Since then Mr.. Gould has every year
renewed his subscription without any
difficulty, and l really believe it gives
| him pleasure to do so. Since then |
| have got to know him, and the public
| would be surprised if it knew the
amount he gives away each year in
| charity in this unostentatious manner.
Il had still greater difficulty in
| securing a subscription from the late
| William III. Vanderbilt. / knew very
well that if | could talk with Mr..
Vanderbilt there would be no trouble
| about getting him to give me a sub
| scription, and, after innumerable calls
upon him without success, / discovered
| that he was in the habit of having his
| tailor send man to measure him at
| his house for suit of clothes / went
one night to his mansion and repre-
| sontaI ,1,,-calf ioiiar aud IN
| way was uShered into Mr.. Vanderbilt's
| presence. After exchanging greetings
| said:
Mr.. Vanderbilt, in order to get to
| see you | have lied; but | have done it
| in behalf of charity. Instead of COM
ing and measuring you for a suit of
clothes | have come to measure your
generosity in behalf of most
worthy institution
| The millionaire was very anprv at
first and started to call his valet and
show me the door, but | impeded his
exit and kept on talking, and before |
| got through L had Mr.. Vanderbilt's
| check Tor neat sum, besides taking
a glass OF wine and cigar with him
| UP to the time of his death he always
| renewed his subscription, and his sons
| do 1t now for him.
| The easiest of the millonaires to oet
| money from up to year or so ago was
| X. L. Flower, but his warm-hearted
| generosity became SO well known that
the man was actually prosecuted. He rs
| so democratic in his manners that any,
one who desires can get an audience
| with him, and there is always a lot of
beggars about his office, hence he was
compelled to make a rule only to sub
scribe to organized charity Now, if
you would see the subscription books of
| the various charitable institutions YOU
would see that New York's rich men
are pretty well represented upon them.